Page 37 of The Tree of Spirits (Paragons #2)

KATO AND CONNER

K ato was sifting through a stack of chairs, apparently looking for something. His helmet lay on the ground. He must have removed it because it was easier to search the building without it obstructing his view.

He looked up, his gaze crossing mine. And then he sighed.

“What are you doing here?” I said quietly, stepping toward him.

“He’s looking for you,” Conner’s voice said behind me.

I pivoted around, but he wasn’t there. All I saw was an empty room that dead-ended in a wall of windows.

“The General said you were working with the Rebels, but I told him that was impossible.” Disappointment dulled the sparkle in Kato’s eyes. “I told him you wouldn’t betray me.”

“I didn’t betray you, Kato.”

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

“See what I mean?” Conner said. “He’s always overreacting.”

I felt a soft, subtle rush of air; Conner must have passed behind me.

“I should have known you’d be at the center of this disaster, Conner. You’re a bad influence.” Kato folded his arms over his chest. “What is your business with her?”

He was doing a pretty thorough job of glaring at nothing. Maybe he could see through Conner’s invisibility spell.

“What is my business with her?” Conner chimed. “The same as yours, of course: we’re trying to save the world.”

Conner suddenly appeared behind us, dressed in his usual suit of shimmering dragon scales. Kato jumped in surprise. Apparently, he couldn’t see invisible Conner after all.

Kato quickly recovered. He drew his WAND, and it immediately turned into a sword. He stepped toward Conner. “You shouldn’t be here,” he hissed, and flames flared to life on his open hand.

“ I shouldn’t be here? This is my storehouse.” Chuckling, Conner gave his own WAND a flick. The flurry of flakes swirled around Kato’s flames, freezing them solid.

“Is it true?” I asked Kato as he shook the frozen flame fragments off his fingers. “Were you really looking for me here?”

Kato’s gaze slid from Conner to me. “Yes.”

“But how did you know I was here?”

“I tracked your life force here. I got the idea from the spell the Rebels used to track down the invisible Watchers.”

“That spell was actually her idea.” Conner nudged me with his shoulder. “Never thought to use it to stalk pretty girls, but you’ve always been creative with magic, Kato.” He chuckled.

Kato watched us, his face impassive. “I wasn’t stalking her.

I went looking for her because the General insisted she was hiding out with the Rebels, and I planned to prove him wrong.

” His dark eyebrows twitched, ever so slightly, as he turned toward me.

“I looked for you at your house, Seven. When you weren’t there, I decided to use magic to track you, fearing you might be in trouble.

” His eyes locked on to Conner. “It seems I was right to be concerned.”

Conner laughed. “Trouble? Me? I’m harmless. I’m not the one who blew a hole in the conference center and kidnapped a bunch of Apprentices. Red and I are trying to catch the Templars and rescue the Apprentices.”

“Red?”

“Hey, you’re not the only one who gets to give her a cute nickname.” Conner winked at him.

Kato didn’t look amused. “You can’t trust him,” he told me. “He’s only going to get you into all kinds of trouble.”

“Stop being so negative, Prince Charming. Red and I have already completed many successful Quests together.” Conner casually draped an arm over my shoulder. “We defeated a bunch of Cursed Ones and rescued a Scavenger from a camp full of commandos.”

Kato wrinkled his nose at him. “Wreaking havoc as always, I see.”

Conner peeled his arm off of me, then lifted his shoulders in an easy shrug.

“It’s one thing to recklessly charge into danger alone, but to drag others into your schemes…” Kato shook his head. “You could have got her killed.”

“You’re just jealous that I didn’t drag you into my schemes.” Conner smirked.

Kato folded his arms over his chest and glowered at him.

“Besides,” Conner added. “It’s not like you haven’t put her in danger too.”

Kato’s lips were tight. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course you do. You’re just too stubborn to admit it,” Conner told him. “So let me refresh your memory. You pulled her into Shadow Fall and almost got her stuck there.”

Kato’s eyes went wide. “How do you know…” He shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“Of course you do. It’s an excellent story.

Almost as thrilling as the one where you managed to get yourself—and Savannah—stuck in Shadow Fall.

” Conner’s brows arched. “Or was that on purpose? Perhaps, you were looking for a secluded spot for a date? Personally, I don’t find Shadow Fall all that romantic, but since you consider battle tactics romantic, Kato?—”

“Enough.” Kato gritted his teeth. “I didn’t bring us to Shadow Fall on purpose. It was an accident.”

“Oh, surely not. The great and powerful Kato doesn’t make mistakes. Actually, don’t you have those exact words printed on your favorite t-shirt?” Conner shot him a sly smile and dragged his hand through his disheveled hair.

Kato looked like he was considering setting Conner’s pretty hair on fire. “You are ridiculous.”

“You’re only saying that because you know I’m right.”

A small, tight smile touched Kato’s lips. “That will be the day.”

Their gazes clashed.

Then Conner laughed. “Easy there, I was just teasing you. I know it’s really hard for you to believe this, Kato, but some people actually have a sense of humor.”

“And some people can’t take anything seriously.”

Conner shrugged. “There has to be balance in the universe. So…” He leaned his arm against the wall. “Shall we get started?”

“Get started with what?”

“Now who’s being funny, Kato?” Conner said. “We’re obviously here for the same reason. We all want to stop the Templars and save the Apprentices. So we should pool our powers and work together. Why do you think I summoned you here this morning?”

Kato bristled. “You didn’t summon me. I used a tracking spell to find Savannah.”

“Yeah, let’s not talk about your stalking her.” Conner pretended to gag.

“I was not stalking her.”

“You just keep telling yourself that.” Conner patted him on the shoulder.

“Anyway, you tracked Savannah here after I sent you evidence that the Rebels aren’t the kidnappers.

And, remember, I told you what spell we used to locate the missing Watchers.

Hmm, coincidentally the same spell you then used to find Savannah.

Or was it a coincidence?” he said with a sly look.

“You’re implying that you lured me here.”

“I knew the General would try to convince you that she’d gone rogue, and he told you so, and blah blah blah. He is so predictable.” Conner rolled his eyes. “And I know you well, Kato. I knew you’d run off to save Red from the big, bad Rebels. So I just gave you the idea of how to find her.”

Kato’s jaw cracked. “You didn’t have to play such games. You could have just asked me to team up with you, Conner.”

Some of the mischief in Conner’s eyes fizzled out. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Of course I would have come. Because despite everything that’s happened between us, I’m not going to let you fight the Templars without my help.

You would do the same for me if our roles were reversed.

If I needed your help, you’d be there for me.

So I’m going to be there for you too.” Kato’s jaw tightened, and he looked like he was chewing on glass.

“So let’s do it. Let’s work together to save the Apprentices. ”

“Awesome!” Conner pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “You’ve finally come to your senses and realized how desperately you need my impressive skills.”

Kato hit him with a granite stare. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“But you should. You should go as far as you must to do what’s right.”

“That’s the kind of attitude that’s constantly getting you into trouble, Conner.”

“Yeah, I know.” Conner’s easy smile was gone. His face was eerily serious.

And so was Kato’s. Volumes of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, swirling around them.

I shifted my gaze between the boys. “You weren’t kidding when you told me you two have a complicated relationship,” I commented to Conner.

Conner chuckled. “I like her,” he said to Kato, and his bright, sapphire-blue eyes lit up. “She’s much cuter than your last girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Are you sure? Because, Kato, you should hear the stories the Knights are telling about you two.”

“What kind of stories?”

“All kinds. My favorite’s the one where you save Red from a fierce, fire-breathing dragon, then kiss her in front of an exploding volcano.

” He frowned. “Actually, come to think of it, I think Jareth just stole that story from a comic book. Or maybe it’s a metaphor, and the General’s the dragon you save Red from.

But then what does the volcano represent?

The end of the world, but you just don’t care because you have each other? ” He snickered.

“You’re not making any sense.”

Conner ignored him. “Then there’s the story where you slay the Techno Knight and then give his armor to Red as a battle trophy or a sign of affection or some such sappiness.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is the story about you and Red shutting off the General’s hot water, so he’s forced to take cold showers.

First of all, you’re way too boring to prank the General; the Knights who make up this stuff must be thinking of me.

And secondly, well, I already tried that prank last year, only to discover that it does absolutely nothing because the General only takes cold showers anyway!

Apparently, it builds character, which, uh, why would I care about that?

I’m already swimming in an overabundance of character. ”

“You certainly are a character,” Kato muttered.

“And, come to think of it, I don’t think I’m remembering that rumor right at all,” Conner continued.

“Of course, how could I, hearing it thirdhand and all? It’s really hard to get the good Castle gossip when you’re a wanted fugitive, you know.

By the time a story makes it all the way to me, it’s been so twisted and turned that?—”

“Conner,” Kato cut him off.

“Yes?”

“Do you know who is spreading all this gossip about me and Seven?”

“Oh, that I do know. Because it’s basically everyone,” Conner said gleefully. “The whole Castle is talking about you guys. It’s so adorable.” He flashed me a smirk.

I buried my face in my hands.

Kato frowned.

“What are you thinking?” Conner asked him.

“I’m thinking I need to have a very serious discussion with the other Knight Commanders. If their Knights have time to gossip, they’re not training hard enough.”

“More words of wisdom from the Code of Conduct.” Conner slapped him on the back. “Now that’s the Kato we all know and love!” He stole a glance at me. “Nice to know you’re not trying to change your boyfriend, Red.”

“We’re not dating!” both Kato and I shouted in exasperation.

Conner nodded brightly. “Right. You just keep telling yourselves that.”

“Is he always this crazy?” I asked Kato.

He shrugged. “Often enough. I find it best not to indulge him when he gets like this.”

“Ah, look at you two talking about me like I’m not even here!” He wrapped an arm around each of us. “You already have eyes for no one else.”

I peeked behind his back at Kato. “It’s going to be hard to ignore him if we’re all working together to stop the Templars.”

“Yes, I’m already regretting my decision,” Kato said earnestly. “Now let’s get to work before I change my mind.”